Math 345 –PS#5 Solutions

Summer 2, 2012

p.133 #50. Prove that A B is abelian if and only if A and B are abelian.
Proof. Assume A B is abelian and choose elements a1 ; a2 2 A and b1 ; b2 2 B: Then (a1 a2 ; b1 b2 ) =
(a1 ; b1 ) (a2 ; b2 ) = (a2 ; b2 ) (a1 ; b1 ) = (a2 a1 ; b2 b1 ) implies a1 a2 = a2 a1 and b1 b2 = b2 b1 : Therefore A and B
are abelian. Conversely, assume A and B are abelian and choose elements (a1 ; b1 ) ; (a2 ; b2 ) 2 A B: Then
(a1 ; b1 ) (a2 ; b2 ) = (a1 a2 ; b1 b2 ) = (a2 a1 ; b2 b1 ) = (a2 ; b2 ) (a1 ; b1 ) so that A B is abelian.

p.133 #52. Let H1 and H2 be subgroups of G1 and G2 ; respectively. Prove that H1 H2 is a subgroup of
G1 G2 :
Proof. Since the identity elements e1 2 G1 and e2 2 G2 are elements of H1 and H2 ; respectively, the identity
element (e1 ; e2 ) 2 G1 G2 is an element of H1 H2 : Let (a1 ; b1 ) ; (a2 ; b2 ) 2 H1 H2 ; then a1 a2 2 H1 and
b1 b2 2 H2 by closure in H1 and H2 : Therefore (a1 ; b1 ) (a2 ; b2 ) = (a1 a2 ; b1 b2 ) 2 H1 H2 and closure holds
in H1 H2 : To check inverses, let (a; b) 2 H1 H2 ; then a 1 2 H1 and b 1 2 H2 since H1 and H2 have
1
inverses. Furthermore, (a; b) a 1 ; b 1 = aa 1 ; bb 1 = (e1 ; e2 ) so that (a; b) = a 1 ; b 1 2 H1 H2 :
Therefore H1 H2 is a subgroup by Proposition 3.9.

p.140 #10. Let H be a subgroup index 2 in a group G: Prove that H C G. Conclude that Sn is not simple.
Proof. First gH = Hg for all g 2 G by page 100, problem #18 of Problem Set #4. Therefore H C G: For
example, the alternating group An consists of the even permutations of Sn : Hence the left cosets of An in
Sn are fAn ; (1; 2) An g and [Sn ; An ] = 2: Therefore An is a nontrivial normal subgroup of Sn ; consequently
Sn is not simple.

p.140 #14.
(a) Calculate Z (S3 ) :
(b) Calculate Z (GL2 (R)) :
(c) Let G be a group. Show that Z (G) C G:
(d) If G=Z (G) is cyclic, show that G is abelian.
Calculations for (a). Identify S3 with D3 via the isomorphism de…ned in the Problem Set #4 solutions.
Let r be a rotation of 120 about the centroid of a equilateral triangle and let s be the re‡ection that …xes
vertex 1: Then D3 = id; r; r2 ; s; sr; sr2 : Since srs = r 1 we have sr = r 1 s = r2 s so that neither s; r; nor
2
r2 lie in Z (D3 ) : Furthermore, (sr) sr2 = r 1 r2 = r 6= r 1 = r 2 r = (srs) r = sr2 (sr) so that neither sr
2
nor sr lie in Z (D3 ) : It follows that Z (D3 ) = fidg :
Calculations for (b). Let I be the 2 2 identity matrix. I claim that Z (GL2 (R)) = faI j a 2 R g : If
a b 1 1 a b 1 1 a a+b
A = 2 Z (GL2 (R)) ; it commutes with : But =
c d 0 1 c d 0 1 c c+d
1 1 a b a+c b+d
and = : By equating corresponding entries we obtain a + c = a,
0 1 c d c d
a b
a + b = b + d; and c + d = d: Hence c = 0 and a = d; thus A = : Furthermore, A commutes
0 a
0 1 a b 0 1 b a 0 1 a b 0 a
with : But = and = : This time,
1 0 0 a 1 0 a 0 1 0 0 a a b
a 0
equating corresponding entries gives b = 0: Hence A = = aI: Finally, if B 2 GL2 (R) ; then
0 a
(aI) B = a (IB) = aB = Ba = (BI) a = B (Ia) : But det (aI) = a2 det I = a2 implies aI 2 GL2 (R) if and
only if a 6= 0: Therefore Z (GL2 (R)) = faI j a 2 R g :
Proof of (c). Let g 2 G and let x 2 gZ (G) g 1 : There is an element z 2 Z (G) such that x = gzg 1 : But
gz = zg implies x = zgg 1 = z 2 Z (G) : Therefore gZ (G) g 1 Z (G) and Z (G) C G by Theorem 10.1.
Proof of (d). Since G=Z (G) is cyclic, there is an element g 2 G such that G=Z (G) = hgZ (G)i =
fg n Z (G) j n 2 Zg : Let x; y 2 G: Since the cosets of G=Z (G) partition G; there exists m; n 2 Z such that
x 2 g m Z (G) and y 2 g n Z (G) : Consequently, there exist w; z 2 Z (G) such that x = g m w and y = g n z:
Since w; z; g n and g m all commute, xy = g m wg n z = g n zg m w = yx and G is abelian.

1
p.140 #15. Let G be a group and let G0 be its commutator subgroup consisting of all …nite products of
elements of the form aba 1 b 1 ; called commutators.
(a) Show that G0 C G:
(b) If N C G; prove that G=N is abelian if and only if G0 N:
Proof of (a). I claim that G0 is indeed a subgroup of G. Let e denote the identity element in G;
then e = eee 1 e 1 2 G0 : By de…nition, x; y 2 G0 can be written as x = c1 cm and y = d1 dn ;
where each ci and dj is a commutator. Hence xy = c1 cm d1 dn 2 G0 proving closure. Note that
1
the inverse of a commutator is also a commutator: aba 1 b 1 = bab 1 a 1 . Thus if x = c1 cm is
1 1 1 1
a product of commutators, then x = (c1 cm ) = cm c1 is also a product of commutators and
x 1 2 G0 : Therefore G0 is a subgroup by Proposition 3.9. I claim that G0 C G: Let a; b; g 2 G and note that
conjugate of a commutator is a commutator: g aba 1 b 1 g 1 = gag 1 gbg 1 ga 1 g 1 gb 1 g 1 =
1 1
gag 1 gbg 1 gag 1 gbg 1 . Finally, if x 2 gG0 g 1 ; write x = gc1 cm g 1 ; where each ci is a
1 1 1
commutator; then x = gc1 g g g gcm g is a product of commutators and lies in G0 . Therefore
0
gG g 1
G and G C G by Theorem 10.1.
0 0

Proof of (b). Assume N C G and G=N is abelian. Then (aN ) (bN ) = (bN ) (aN ) for all a; b 2 G: Hence
1 1
aba 1 b 1 N = (aN ) (bN ) (aN ) (bN ) = N and aba 1 b 1 2 N by the last problem of Problem Set #3.
But if x = c1 cm is a product of commutators, each ci 2 N and x 2 N by closure. Therefore G0 N:
Conversely, assume N C G and G0 N: Then aba 1 b 1 2 G0 N for all a; b 2 G; and consequently,
(aN ) (bN ) a 1 N b 1 N = aba 1 b 1 N = N: Therefore (aN ) (bN ) = (bN ) (aN ) for all a; b 2 G and G=N
is abelian.